3/5 engaged??

[1st time mummy 2 be]

Hey ladies, im 37 weeks +3 days and i had midwife on monday normal check as usual and then she told me i was 3/5 engaged when up till now my babys always been free from brim. Is engaged a sign of it coming soon? As u can tell im new to all this and me and my partner are very curious to weather being engaged is anything but her being in the pelvis and her way of saying im on my way... just i been getting some very painfull pains down below and the pressure is un beliveable at times not had any signs like a show or anything but i been having diarrea,needing loo all the time,nausea,back pain,more discharge than normal and pressure and tightening across abdomen so is all this lil signs of it being soon i know i only have 2 and bit weeks left but i feel in myself that im not going to go to my due date... hope any of can help me?! xXx

[Meluchja]

Hi 1st time mummy 2 be,
Being engaged isn't normally a sign of going into labour anytime soon. Some mothers can be fully engaged 0/5, for weeks until labour begins and some can go into labour being only 5/5. So each case is very different.
However, along with the others signs you have mentioned, nausea, back pain, more discharge than normal, it could be a sign that labour is not too far away. The tightening across the stomach would be Braxton Hicks, which is another good sign along with the other ones, especially if it is accompanied by some minor dull pain/ache.
So fingers crossed for you it might not be too long until your holding your beautiful little girl. But like I said each case is very very different, but fingers crossed for you.

[Alan]

Hi 1st time mummy 2 be
You are showing all the signs of going into labour in the very near future, I hope you have got your bags packed.

[Babushka Doll]

My Bub has been head down since 25 weeks and 0/5 engaged since 36 weeks. Ive been getting all the same symtoms as you, so I think our bodies are doing what they should be at this stage.

I posted a thread on 'How long after bubs become fully engaged did you go into labour' the gerneral reply was - when ever bubs was ready, most went overdue!

I know its hard not to get excited when the OB tells you your fully engaged, Im still waiting 2 weeks later.... hurry little bubba!

Good Luck

[Karina]

My daughter was 3/5 at our last apppointment with midwife at 38 weeks,and then she was born 2 days later. I had lost my mucus plug by then though.. but in the days before i went into labour I did feel more pressure down there, some cramping and I had a bit of diahrea.

[Ngala]

Hi, I am new to this whole pregnancy thing and just got a question on this engaging thing and I hope you dont mind me posting it here 1st time mummy 2 be..

How do they check how engaged bubs is???

[Meluchja]

Hey Veronica,
From what I know, Alan might be able to confirm this, but when your OB, Midwife, Doc or who ever is feeling your tummy they count how many fingers (I think they say 1 finger is 1cm) they can fit in between the bottom of your pelvis/public bone and the top of bubs head. So, -4/5 would mean bubs has just started to decend down into your pelvis, -1/5 means that he/she can only fit 1 finger in between and 0/5 means bubs is is fully engaged, he/she has moved as far down as possible to prominent bony parts on either side of his/her head and is just waiting until everything opens up Once this happens, delivery begins and bubs continues into +1,+2,+3 etc. until he/she reaches the opening (crowns) which is +5. I'm sure this is it, but you might want to get confirmation before quoting me.
Hopes it helps understand it a little better.

1st time mummy to be, can't wait to hear some good news soon.

[Ngala]

Ahhh, so its all done internally!! Ah well, guess I better get used to these internal things. Any idea when they start checking?

[Meluchja]

I'm not sure what you mean by internally, but they do the measurement from feeling from the outside, well my hospital does it this way anway. I think they start to check once they know that bubs has turned head down normally around the start of the third trimester, I think.

[Ngala]

OHHH!! So they can feel all this from the outside?! Well thats much better than... I guess that once bubs is towards the end and doesnt have much room, you can feel where every limb is cause at the moment I wouldnt have a clue whats what!

Thanks Mel, and sorry for my dumb blonde/preggy moment

[Meluchja]

Hey, thats o.k. 0/5, 5/5 it still confuses the crap out of me sometimes.
Have you noticed that there is one side more than the other that you get sharp pokes and jabes, and more rolly type movements on the other?

[Fire Fly]

When you said you have diarrhoea straight away i thought, yep wont be long now. Have your bags ready and good luck with everything.

[Karina]

Veronia, my midwife just felt the outside of my belly to see how engaged bub was. No internal for me.

[Lindys]

Yep usually 5/5ths means they can still feel all of the head (so it has not decended into the pelvis at all) when examining externally... then it goes all the way down to 0/5ths where the head in fully engaged into the pelvis and so can't be felt in that lower abdominal region at all. I am also 37 weeks and 3 days...two weeks ago I was 2/5ths and today I was 4/5ths as bub has changed positions so his head has popped up a bit.

[Ngala]

Thanks for the info ladies! So much to learn with this pregnancy thing

Mel - my movements still seem to be all over the place jabs on right sight, rolly movements on the other and then the next day it changes! So still plenty of room in there.

1st time mummy - sorry to hijac your thread!! Good luck, sounds like everyone thinks your baby is close

[1st time mummy 2 be]

Thank you for all your replys ladies... makes me feel that lil bit better hearing what you had to say! I do think the same as you all do, i can feel in myself it wont be long just gotta pace myself as i can sometimes feel myself getting very worried and scared about it all as this is mine and partners 1st, all ready though bags packed and everything ready for her to go into have midwife weekly so will find out monday if shes anymore or any less engaged and will be talking to my midwife about the signs i been having as lastnite i was really ill feeling so sick and horrible pains down below... even though im very nervous about it all i just cant wait to meet our precious lil baby girl. Take care all, and hope everyone is doing well. Thanks again... xx